Treatment of Nevus of Ota in patients from Western populations with high phototypes

Introduction: Nevus of Ota is a dermal melanocytic nevus located in the skin area that is innervated by the second and third branches of the facial nerve. It occurs mainly in patients of Asian ethnic background. The present study was aimed at evaluating the therapeutic response in the Western population, where higher skin types and characteristics diverse from those that have already been studied are common. Methods: A retrospective study based on the analysis of medical records, an active search of patients and the application of a questionnaire. All study patients were treated with 1,064 nm Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser, with or without a 532 nm tip, with 1 to 4-month intervals between sessions, 10ns pulse duration, 3mm spot size, 1 to 3 Hz frequencies and 2 to 12 J/cm2fluences. Results: According to the research physicians' evaluation, from the seven assessed patients, three had excellent improvement (greater than 75%), two had good response (51-75%) and one had moderate response (25-50%). The analysis of the degree of patient satisfaction showed that four patients reported being very satisfied and three, satisfied. The best results were observed in patients with phototypes up to grade IV and after having undergone seven sessions. Conclusions: QS lasers have proven a useful tool for treating patients with Nevus of Ota and high skin phototypes.

Keywords: NEVUS OF OTA, TREATMENT OUTCOME, LASERS